New Necklace

This week has been "trying" to say the least and my dears, it's only Tuesday. So today I needed a little pick-me-up. I showered and actually got dressed in something other than "comfy clothes" and just that little step has made a world of difference. Yesterday afternoon this beautiful necklace arrived and I knew it was just the thing to help beautify my world today. It's a custom embroidered necklace by Corinne of September House. (shop here) I wish I could get a better photo but it's insanely hard to take a photo of something around your own neck, haha! (Disclosure: I did get a better photo but it was mostly boob so I opted not to post that one :) The stitching is tiny and oh so perfect. It was such a pleasure opening the beautiful packaging and an even bigger pleasure to put this beauty around my neck. I hope you'll stop by Corinne's shop and pick up something lovely for yourself.

Before and After - And a Giveaway

Instead of my regularly scheduled "Inspired Monday" post I have something a little different to share. I picked up these plastic wall hangings at the Goodwill this weekend for $1.99 and decided to give them a shiny new coat of paint. Granted the "before" wasn't bad (the top picture) but we've got so much brown, gold in the house now that I wanted to inject a little color for the spring season. I was able to get away with one of the teeny cans of spray paint for $2.50, so all in all the project cost me less than $5 which in my book is a success. The color I picked ended up matching the vintage paint by number I picked up during the same trip as well as the blue in the curtains pretty perfectly. I think my decision to paint them was a good one and now this little corner feels very happy. This little spot is the landing at the top of the stairs leading to our bedroom and my office. So, it's a spot I pass by dozens of times a day. I've been searching for ages for the perfect thing to hang there and I really think that this arrangement fits the bill perfectly.

In other news, this week marks my 2nd blog birthday! I can't quite believe it's been that long and although I did take a rather extended leave of absence last year I still think it's cause for celebration. I would like to give away a free print from my Etsy shop to 2 readers but there's a teeny bit of work involved. I would like for you to share a favorite spring / summer recipe. I've got my favorites that come out every year but I'd like to try some new things and I'm so excited to start seeing all of that fresh seasonal produce at the farmer's markets. So, share a recipe and be entered to win a free 5x7 print of your choice from the shop! I will randomly pick the winners next Monday the 19th. I can't wait to see what you all have to share!!

(Edit: If you don't cook much still share something that you like to eat in the Spring and Summer to be entered!)

Bunnies

I figured I needed to post about these before Easter is a distant memory. I made these for my girls for their Easter baskets and if I hadn't waited until the very last minute to make them would have had a blast with them. I used the Hop Skip Jump Jack Rabbit pattern here. It's such a beautiful pattern, so detailed and clear to understand. What's better is that I had everything on hand to make these so they were just the cost of the pattern. They need just the tiniest bits of scraps and it was so fun finding bits of my favorite fabrics to use. I also bought the Poppy doll pattern and hope to make a few for the girls' birthdays. They're such beautiful patterns and would make wonderful gifts.

It's Done!

This was by far the most ambitious quilt I've done to date and I loved every moment of working on it. I love each and every wonky corner and crooked stitch. It's got soul and it's exactly what I envisioned. We've all been arguing over who gets the privilege of cuddling under in during TV time each evening. It's a fairly small quilt, more like a lap quilt than anything but that made it not seem so daunting. I'm almost sad that it's done but that just makes me even more excited about starting a new quilt.

Inspired Mondays

This week I'm inspired by my wonderful family. We had a super fun day yesterday and it was just the thing I needed to feel refreshed and ready to tackle another week. My amazing mother had a whole egg dying station set up when we arrived complete with stickers and letters and the Martha Stewart Easter magazine open for inspiration. There were some incredible ideas in there and we tried many of them. These were by far the coolest eggs we've ever done and were so much more fun than the kits that you buy. This will definitely become a tradition.

I sat and finished the binding on my circle quilt (yay!) while the boys watched golf. My parents bickered minimally, my brother moaned about his hangover all day, my big girl hunted for jelly bean filled Easter eggs, I gain 3 lbs (ack!) from all of the wonderful food my mother cooked and my baby girl ate her first short bread cookie. We watched Funniest Videos and laughed together while eating home made coconut cake.

My family isn't perfect, we've had our share of drama and we may not alway understand each other. But oh, there is so much love and support. And the history we have is priceless. I wouldn't trade those crazy people for the world.

Soaking up the Sun

I stepped outside to warm my toes in the last bits of sun before the rain comes. To reflect and be still for just a moment. Right here and now everything is right with the world... There are no dishes to do or laundry fold or toilets to clean, no design work to be done, no teething babes, no bills to pay. It's just me and the sun and my flip flops. Perfect.

Thank you so, very much to everyone who stopped by yesterday to download the new desktop background. Thank you even more for all of your wonderfully kind comments. I can't begin to tell you how much they mean to me. And of course thank you to the lovely Irene from Bloesem who posted about it on her beautiful blog.

I'm going to unplug for the next few days to sew and clean and hunt for Easter eggs. I hope you all have a marvelous weekend!

No Foolin'

Here's a new desktop background for you, my friends to enjoy for the month of April. It's yellow like all of the beautiful daffodils that are springing up all over town. There are three sizes to choose from, just select which one will fit your monitor and click the link to download.

1900x1200

1600x1200

1024x768